The Israeli government on Sunday approved about $20 million in additional financing for Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, underlining its strengthened right-wing orientation and raising the ire of political opponents and the Palestinians. – New York Times
The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad H. Mansour, said Friday that his government had begun preliminary negotiations with Egypt to define the extent of Palestinian-claimed territory in the Mediterranean off the roughly 25-mile-long coast of Gaza, the strip bordering Israel and Egypt where roughly 1.8 million Palestinians live. – New York Times
The Israeli government is considering a proposal to build an artificial island off the Gaza Strip that a top official says would give Palestinians living in the besieged enclave their one and only seaport — and maybe a hotel and an international airport, too. – Washington Post
Israeli forces opened fire at a Palestinian car in the occupied West Bank early Tuesday, killing one Palestinian teenager and wounding four others, according to relatives and Palestinian officials. The teenagers appeared to be innocent bystanders who were hit while the military tried to halt Palestinians who were throwing stones and firebombs. – New York Times
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter held a closed-door session at the Pentagon Monday with new hard-line Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman on a range of issues including Israel’s acquisition of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. – DOD Buzz
After three years of contentious review, the Israeli government has codified a new policy for cyber-related exports that aims to liberalize licensing and technology-transfer restrictions for all but defense and military end-users. – Defense News
Eli Lake writes: [I]n Netanyahu's case, the loss of political allies and proteges has become a feature of his governing style. Israel's prime minister has more ex-friends than Norman Podhoretz, the editor of Commentary who wrote a memoir about how many friends he lost as he migrated to the right. – Bloomberg View